Dracula
by Neuroses-Isn't-Just-A-Word
Summary: Don't you think it's strange, that the representative of all vampires has a name but the werewolves' doesn't?" White teeth gleamed in the moonlight, the blood from previous feeding washed away. "He does now."
1. Crashed

Lilith Davies, newly minted ER doctor, loved and hated her job. Ever since she was a child all she wanted to do was become a doctor like her parents. Though looking back at it she sometimes wondered if those dreams were her own or simply due to parental influence. Not that it mattered much now. She slaved, struggled, and starved her way through medical school and she wasn't about to cast aside all her hard work over not being able to distinguish her goals from ascribed ones.

Lilith loved the adrenaline and pace of the ER; the way you would have to bend your mind and knowledge to fit non-textbook ailments. She loved seeing that moment, right after the patient had been stabilized when nurse, doctor, pysicians' assistants, and patient were all connected in a web of relief and simple joy at the gift of life. Needless to say, it only lasted a moment; there were an infinite amount of things to do in the ER and no one had any time to simply stand around and smell the proverbial roses.

She hated seeing people in pain, having to tell people to wait their turn because the ER was backed up and their injuries were not life threatening. She hated some of the reasons people came in. Kids getting their knee caps shot as a gang initiation, children with pieces of glass imbedded in their skin because their babysitter was too busy talking on their cell phone to pay enough attention, people with their legs crushed because their alcohol riddled minds couldn't tell that driving was a bad idea. She hated calling time of death; the inevitable moment when years of education fail you and you can't think of anything else to do to save your patient, even though you know there _must_ be a way. There usually isn't, but that never stops you from feeling like a failure. The more seasoned doctors, some of whom have caught you sobbing in the supply closet during your break, tell you that it will get easier in time, that you'll build up a wall around your heart. Lilith both hopes and fears that that is true.

A crash of metal rails hitting the loading doors, shouts of the Emergency Response Team, and pathetic human groaning broke Lilith out of her reverie. She was by the new patient's side in a moment, and information was immediately relayed to her.

"Patient had multiple lesions on his arms, chest, and neck, as well as multiple puncture marks on his shoulders…" Heart rate, blood preasure, medications already pumped into the torn man's system, all information communicated to her and categorized. "One, two three, lift!" The body was transferred from gureny to table, the Response Team cleared out, the nurses and P.A.'s rushed in, all perfectly synchronized, almost like a dance. A chaotic, bloody dance. The patient's already torn clothing was being cut away from is body. Lilith was just about to turn to scrub up when the injured man's glassy and slightly crazed eyes locked onto hers and stilled her movements.

"Lucian." Blood-stained lips pushed out the word in no more than a whisper but Lilith still heard it over the din of the world around her. Then his eyes rolled into his head, his spine tightened and arched, foam poured out of clenchted teeth. More shouts- must stablize! 20cc! get a crash cart in here!- and then the sound Lilith hated most. That constant flat tone signaling the end of a life. The body slumped down on the table. His skin was ashen. There was too much damage.

"Doctor, shall we crack him?" The man would not survive. Too much blood loss. He was dead before he hit the table.

"No, call it." Lilith's voice sounded hollow to her own ears, she didn't want to know what she sounded like to others. The nurse nodded, no reproach in her eyes. She had been an ER nurse for twenty years, seen too much death to be truly affected. Lilith was grateful for that. When was that damn wall going to be completed?


	2. Children's Crusade

**There are a few things I should clear up before the story continues. **

**First: The obligatory disclaimer: I do not own this movie, any of its sequel/prequels, characters, or anything to do with anything. **

**Second: This story takes place pre, during, and post movie. At the moment the story is pre-movie. The fist chapter included.**

**Thirdly: I am doing this instead of my very important homework. You should feel special.**

**Lastly: These chapters may be short... ok, I don't really have anything to defend myself with. Whatever, here's a new chapter.**

Lucian sat behind his desk in his make shift office, fingers steepled and eyes closed in deep thought. These children were becoming a problem. And that's what they were, children. Then again, at a better part of a Milena of age, just about everyone was a child compared to him. The werewolf lord shook his head. That was a moot point. They were still a problem.

Recently a human street gang had taken to carving out a territory in the Underground. Human presence in the Underground was not a novel thing. Raves were held in certain caverns, homeless humans set up rather sizable communities near generators, and children looking for adventure sometimes wandered down in the tunnels. Lucian did not care. It was easy to keep the humans away from his territory with a few growls from the dark and quick moving shadows just out of the corner of the humans' eyes. Those humans were pesky, but not a real problem, they caught on where not to go very quickly. Well, most humans.

_These_ humans did not. Petulant children, trying their might against a darker force they were all but ignorant of. Even he, a lord who earned his title by trial and blood, could not deter his men from exercising retribution when these children grew too bold. Not that he would deny them the right anyways. The bullets in the children's guns were not silver and did little harm to the Lycans. It was not a fair fight by any means, but it was necessary. This children's crusade, as it were, could, apparently, not be quelled by normal means. It was imperative that the existence of his men, his lair, his plans and his very species be kept secret. Still, they were only children.

But he was _so close_. So close to finding the correct bloodline. So close to hybridizing the species. So close to ending this war. Lucian opened his eyes and stared at his posed hands. They were devoid of dirt and grime, skin worn but healthy looking, only the slightest trace of blood under and around the finger nails gave evidence of any malicious deeds. He never could get all the blood out from under his nails. Every time he got close another incident, another mistake, another attack coated his hands in blood. He was staring to wonder if he would ever be able to get them clean. He was _so close_.


	3. An Honest Man

**For those who would like a basic idea of what Lilith looks like just imagine Jayma Mays with curly blondeish/brownish hair and average skin tone. That's the closest to what I see in my mind, though feel free to make up your own image if you'd prefer. **

The hospital morgue and autopsy room were located in the basement of the main building. Lilith wondered if there was some structural or organizational advantage to having them located there or if it was just tradition to be creepy. Her shift had ended, she should go, home, take a shower and then pass out. But something was bugging her about that man she- her throat ached and her stomach dropped- lost that evening. His injuries were not unique. She had heard of other patients with similar lesions and puncture marks who died on the table, mouths frothing. Her first thought was rabies. It was rare but if an outbreak was starting…

She asked Dr. Claude as he entered the hospital for his graveyard shift if the bodied had been tested. They had and they all tested negative for rabies. Still, she wanted to see the bodies herself.

The friendly ding that signaled she had arrived at her destination was greatly out of place to what the elevated doors opened up to. The basement was cold, and despite being lit with a more than adequate number of flouresent lights gave the impression of being dark. And it was silent. It was the silence that got to Lilith the most. Life was noisy, only death was silent.

One deep breath of formaldihide tainted air and the young doctor plunged into the autopsy room. Her former- was he ever with her long enough to be her current- patient was lying, pale, ashen and naked as the day he was born- you go into the world with nothing and you leave the world with nothing- on one of the gleaming metal tables. He had been cleaned but not opened up yet. At least not by a scapel.

Lilith was astride the mangled body now, the chill from the metal slab perminating her black dress pants. Her heart clentched and her stomach churned. She had been wrong before. This was no man. Devoid of the blood and grime and wild eyes it was all too obvious that this was a boy. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. Lilith closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sting of the chemicals in her lungs. When she opened them she looked at the body through a doctor's eyes. Five parallel lesions going from the cadaver's right shoulder in a diagonal line to approximately five inches above the navel. Each lesion a little over an inch at their widest points. Another five parallel lines ran almost perpendicular to the first set. These were deeper, cutting all the way down to the ribcage. They were wider as well, estimated two to two and a half inches wide at their widest point. The lesions on the arms were also bone deep, but these were defensive wounds. The punctures on the shoulders were in the formation of a bite mark but Lilith couldn't think of any city creature, let alone one in a city in THIS part of the world that would have a jaw that shape. There was only one clean bite mark, the other two, on the left shoulder showed signs of the assaillent thrashing their jaws, ripping the flesh, tendons, and muscles in its grasp. This looked like an animal attack. But what animal?

"Lilly?" The woman in question jumped at the word and to her embarassemt let out a little squeak like she was twelve years old again. It was only Dr. Resner, the M.E. Still, her heart- Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump…. It was too fast and the air burned her lungs and it was too cold and too quiet and- STOP! "Lilly? Are you alright?"

Dr. Resner took several large strides to grab her arms and steady her. His figure was much larger than hers; he towered over her 5'4" stature and should have been imposing being so close. Still, the simple warm, human contact focused Lilith's mind.

"Sorry." It came out a mumble but she knew he must have heard in the oppressive silence. The woman tilted her head up to meet the older man's eyes. They went from concerned to lightly amused and a wide smile spread across his face, wrinkleing his weather-worn but still attractive skin.

"No worries, this place does weird things to people, especially ones as green as you." The smile widened and Lilith knew it was meant as a joke but she didn't feel like laughing at the moment. And it wasn't very funny.

"He was on my table," Lilith explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Lilith didn't doubt he was. Dr. Evan Resner was an honest man, he never said anything he didn't mean. She had known him since her residency though she was never quite sure on what kind of relationship they had. She wanted to call it paternal but it never quite fit with his tone of voice or body language. They weren't exactly friends, though the shared the occasional lunch or drink after a grueling shift.

Dr. Resner's face turned from sympatheic to professional. "What are you doing here, Lilly?" That was another thing about Evan Resner, he always called you by your first name when you were off duty, never Dr.

"I was just curious. I heard that there are other corpses with the same wounds same cause of death down here and wanted to see for myself."

"How busy-body of you." Yep, completely honest. He said it was from hanging around the dead all day, stunted his social skills. If nurse gossip was true his social skills were just fine. Lilith shrugged off his hands- too tight, stayed too long- and stiffened her spine.

"That's not it and you know it." Dr. Resner sighed.

"Well, what you heard is true." He turned slightly and gave her a sideways glance. He was considering, weighing his options. "C'mon. I'll show you the files. The bodies have been shipped to the county morgue." Their combined footsteps sounded monsterous in the empty halls. "They're kept there until the police finish their investigation."

"The police? For animal attacks? Do they think someone's murdering kids with trained animals?" Lilith's voice was incredulous. Why would someone do that? She had seen some pretty gruesome things in her job but this? Animal attacks were usually due to stupidity on the human's part or the animal mistaking the human for its natural prey. Deliberate attacks were few and far between.

"Maybe." Evan unlocked the record room door and was quickly going through the file cabinets with practiced ease. One click of a desk lamp and five folders were illuminated and spread out on a desk. "Look." He gestured to the pictures of the left and right wrists of each of the victims. They all had matching tattoos. Oh.

"They're all members of the same gang." The same gang that tended to initiate people by shooting them in the kneecaps.

"Yep. And your boy back there is a member too. Police think it's a gang rivalry thing. The thing is," Even dropped his voice, making Lilith lean in to hear him, "no one's taking credit. And credit's a big thing with these scum." Lilith bristled at that and stepped back.

"They're just kids. Stupid and violent, but still, most of them age out." Evan rolled his eyes.

"Don't give my that sociology bullshit-" A pause and a deep breath. "Oh, sorry Lilly." The man shrugged in a helpless gesture. "You know, hanging around this place all day, it stunts my manners." Dr. Resner sighed, his shoulders dropping and he suddenly looked every one of his 42 years. "I just see too many people, most of them are kids too, come in here after bleeding to death from bullet wounds and knife fights." Lilith softened. At least she got to see some of her patients come back to life. Though, to be honest, no one really wants a corpse to come back to life on the autopsy table. "Let's get out of here."

Walking back towards the elevator Lilith took the chance to study him. Evan Resner always reminded her a bit of a bear. Tall and a bit stocky, though most of it was muscle- lifting weights relieves stress, remember that Lilly- he easily intimidated people just with his size. But he was also handsome, for an older man. His skin was a bit worn and his blond hair had started to grey- probably from the divorce- but still, he was a handsome man.

Though his long strides took him to the elevator doors earlier than her he still left pushing the 'Up' button to her. While distracted Lilith was by the task, Evan took the opportunity to snag one of her blonde-brown curls between his large fingers.

"You know," the man started when Lilith's attention was diverted back to him, "you're the prettiest thing I see all day. You should come down to see me more often." Evan Resner was an honest man, he never said anything he didn't mean. His honesty didn't thrill her, though it should have, he was a handsome man. The friendly ding was more welcome this time. Lilith stepped away from Dr. Resner with a tight smile.

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll see you around." And then she was faced with cool metal doors instead of the bear-man coming on to her. She _really_ should have just gone home after her shift. Her exit from the elevator and path back to the preferred plan was rather violently cut short when she ran head first into another body.

"Oh shit!" Another familiar voice. "Sorry about that Dr. Davies." Once she regained her equilibrium and her eyes were able to focus on the figure in front of her, Lilith's mouth formed her first genuine smile of the evening.

"Don't worry about it, Michael."


	4. Slaughter

Cool, damp air. Through the fur, in the lungs. Breathe in out, in out. Rushing air against a body moving fast. Pound, pound, pound of feet against concrete and metal. Water, slime, dirt, mud beneath and splattering up against the solidity of legs. Heart beat, thum-thum, thum-thum, thum-thum. Rat, Lycan, human, scents all around. Metal against metal, drip, drip, drip of water, pitter-patter of much smaller feet. WHOOSH.

The gale of air from a passing subway train startled Lucian into a stop. He remained bent over in the traditional quadrapedall stance. Lucian struggled momentarily to pull his wolf mind away and let higher brain patterns take over. But it was only a moment; Lucian had more than enough practice to be able to retain a civilized mind in a Lycan body. It had been a long time since he allowed himself this kind of freedom. The moon no longer dictated his change and he had long mastered the beast within. He rarely even shifted anymore. He rarely did much these days, except for obsess over his hybrid and keep his men from tearing each other apart in frustration. These underground tunnels were no place for a Lycan. Lucian did not care for them, they reminded him too much of the prison barracks of the pre-rebellion days. Still, they served their purpose. They were infinitely easy to hide in. The death dealers had no idea he and his pack resided below the city. Still, he knew is men craved the open air. They never complained, loyal to Lucian to the end, but he knew.

He heard his men before he saw them. The scents told him that it was Raul and Nicholi. "Lucian!" They were still in their policemen uniforms, must have just gotten off shift. The Lycan lord shifted back into his human form and nodded to his men.

"Anything to report?"

"The human died on the table. The station still thinks this is gang warfare." Raul and Nicholi were relatively new to his pack, barely a century old. Policemen in their old lives they offered to return to that field when Lucian moved the pack to this city to keep an eye on reporting of Lycan-human and Lycan-vampire skirmishes.

"Isn't it?" Small, wry smiles all around. Once the dry humor dissipated the younger Lycans looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Sir, there's one more thing." Lucian cocked an eyebrow at their sudden sobriety. These two, like most younger Lycans, were generally aggressive, arrogant in the thrill of their fresh power and immortality. If they were this somber than it must be the kind of news that tested his ironclad control. "In the report the attending doctor wrote that the human said 'Lucian' before he died." Lucian went cold.

"Were you able to intercept the report before it got to the station?" Their lowered eyes and submissive stances said it all. "Then the problem must be eradicated." Raul and Nicholi flinched at the cold, cold steel in their alpha's voice. It was times like this Lucian the warlord came out in force. "If one gang member knows my name, and I'm not even going to ask _how_ they acquired my name, then we must assume they all know my name. This cannot be tolerated." Lucian gave them both sharp looks and knew his message had been received. "Come, we must return to our brothers."

*

Fully clothed and back in his office Lucian mimicked his position from the first time he contemplated this particular problem. The fact was he could not allow his name to be recirculated into the general population. The vampires monitored all communication looking for clues on Lycan activity. Even rumors were dangerous. If it got to the death dealers that he was even rumored to be alive Kraven would have to send them to investigate or loose credibility and possibly his life. And Lucian needed Kraven, just like Kraven needed Lucian. Gods forbid that this rumor would ever reach Amelia. He could not afford even the slightest chance, not when he was so close to reaching his goals.

A fist connected with the office door, and by the sound of it, a rather large fist. "Come in, Raze." Raze was a massive man, even not in his Lycan form. Lucian considered him his closest confidant, and most loyal follower.

"I heard about the report." He was also a man of few words. Lucian appreciated that. The werewolf lord slumped forward, resting his head in his hands, not afraid to show exhaustion in front of the other elder Lycan. Minutes in silence passed by the two ancient men unheeded. Finally, "Sir?"

When Lucian responded his voice held all the weight of his seven centuries.

"I am about to order the slaughter of children, Raze. For my own continued existence." Lucian raised his head and met the other werewolf's eyes. It was the first time the giant Lycan thought Lucian looked old. Immortality had guaranteed that his alpha's face and body would be frozen in time but... he looked so _old._

"It must be done, sir. We must keep our pack and our mission secret."

Lucian's voice was barely more than a whisper, low even to Lycan ears.

"I know."

"And sir, what do we do about the doctor?" Raze was awarded with a sharp look, weariness gone from Lucian's face, only the mask of control and power Lucian the leader constantly wore.

And what about the doctor? This was a healer, not a warrior, Lucian couldn't imagine having any qualms with such a creature. Killing violent and potentially highly destructive boys was difficult enough, Lucian didn't want a healer's blood on his hands as well; they were soiled enough.

"We will put this doctor under observation. Most likely they simply wrote down the boy's dying words in their notes and that was the end of it. But I don't want to take any chances. Have Raul and Nicholi find the good doctor's name, won't you?" A slight tip to the lips, not quite a smile and not at all happy but it was at least something other than that _old _ and _tired_ look. And that comforted Raze.

"Yes sir." A swift nod and then the other Lycan was gone. Lucian was alone with his thoughts once more.


	5. Wolf Bait

**Sorry about the slow update. I spent Thanksgiving in a house with no internet and then I've been busy studying for finals. And I wasn't really happy with this chapter and decided to sit and glare at it for a few days.**

For the first time in… well, a long time Lilith was awakened by the sun instead of her alarm. Ah, sweet mattress, sweet, clean sheets, sweet comforter, stupid sun. Rolling over her bleary eyes focused on her digital clock, which was blinking 12:00. Fuck. Suddenly the world sharpened and became increasingly demanding. The next nearest clock was on the microwave in the kitchen. Thank you fuzzy socks. They allowed her to just push and slide right into the kitchen. 4:20. Fuck, what was today? Thursday, that's right, Thursday. She started at 5:00 on Thursday. Ok, deodorant, brown pants, pink blouse, hair up, teeth brushed, coat, out the door.

The subway was always a delight. Too many people crowded into dirty, metal tubes racing underground. Though it was one of the few sunny, if not warm days of the year the underground always had a feeling of dampness, the subway cars humid, Lilith swore each had their own fog clouds. Young, male laughter came from her right, a gang of boys- maybe 12, 13?- roughhousing, jumping on each other, yelling about each other's mothers. Despite the decibel at which this was all going on it was still nice to see children being children. Their counterparts were on the opposite side of the car. Older, larger, in dark clothes, their glowering countenances added tension into the air. They couldn't have been more than a few years older than the boys jumping all over each other but they radiated- Back off! Don't touch! Danger!- violence and darkness far too old for their faces. The boy from yesterday would have fit in with the dark children. Blood and bite marks and torn skin imprinted themselves on the living counterparts of her recently deceased patient and Lilith had the sudden urge to yell at them to stop whatever it was they were doing, to run away, that if she saw any of them on her table it would break her heart. She didn't think they would listen.

Metal grinding on metal and the tube came to a stop. Lilith left the two sets of boys to whatever fate they had, wishing she could save them- you can't save everyone, Lily, remember that. It'll get easier. Right. The first person she saw was Michael Corvin, a dedicated but quiet intern, looking as exhausted as she's ever seen him. He probably hadn't gone home since she saw him the night- early morning?- before. They exchanged tired smiles before Lilith made her way to the locker room. Not three seconds after she donned her white coat Michael stuck his head in the door. He flashed her an apologetic smile.

"Dr. Davies, there are some policemen here to talk to you." Lilith's heart jumped up into her throat. Malpractice suit? Already? Those kinds of things weren't novel around the hospital but she had hoped that she could at least loose some of her rookie green before she was hit with one. Lilith nodded to the other man.

"Thank you, Michael." She was determined to just walk out the doors and deal with it but one look at the intern's haggard face and the hard shell she was trying to build crumbled. "When was the last time you slept?" Humorless mirth flashed across the younger man's face.

"When was the last time you ate?" A bond of understanding strung tight and painful between the two bodies. They were both going to kill themselves in this job and both were powerless to stop it. It's what happened when you cared too much. It'll get better the seasoned doctors told her. The words sounded false in her own mouth though and judging by the look on Michael's face he agreed. Lilith laughed. "We have GOT to get real lives." Michael smiled a real smile this time.

"True. But there are still policemen here to see you." A deep breath.

"Right." The two men in uniform were not particularly physically imposing but felt intimidating nonetheless. Maybe it was the height difference. Even average sized men towered over her.

"Dr. Lilith Davies?" The men looked at her and then at each other, a light expression flitting across their faces, like they were sharing a private joke. It was a little annoying.

"Yes, that's me."

"Sorry to bother you but we had some follow up questions about a boy that came in here yesterday." They still looked amused and it was grating more and more by the second. The young doctor gave them her sweetest smile.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific. We get a lot of boys through here." The amusement faded away, leaving a harder expression and Lilith found she preferred them finding her humorous.

"A boy came in here with multiple bite marks and lacerations. Died on your table." Cold went through her, but not quite as bad as yesterday. "You noted in your report that he said something before he died." Blood bubbling out of stained lips, the word barely escaping the blackness that clawed at the spirit and mind.

"Yes. He said 'Lucian'. I thought it might be his name." Was that relief on their faces? Had she been wrong? What did these officers know?

"Did he say anything else?"

"No. As you said, he died on my table." One of the officers had the decency to look at least a little embarrassed, even if only for a second, at their insensitivity before.

"Thank you for your time, Doctor." They turned to leave but Lilith was too curious now.

"Wait!" The men seemed more surprised with her outburst than she was. Lilith fought down the embarrassment from their- is she crazy? What is wrong with this chick?- questioning looks. "What is going on? This isn't the first body to come through here like that. And there are probably more at other hospitals-" The officer that _hadn't_ been ashamed at his rudeness raised a hand to stop her.

"We're sorry Doctor, but we can't discuss the case." Then they were gone.

*

"So?" Lucian stood just outside the lab, ignoring the low moan from their latest test subject in favor of the three Lycans in front of him. Two in uniform and one is street clothes. Nicholi shrugged.

"She's very," he paused, looking for the right word, "human." The young Lycan said it like he had never been a member of her species. "Kinda feisty for such a little thing though."

Lucian nodded to the third Lycan, Eric, thin faced and constantly pushing his matted dirty blonde hair out of his eyes. Eric handed over his camera, assigned to observe the Doctor's movements. The small screen on the back of the device revealed a small woman, curly hair, and large brown eyes- doe eyes. She looked like prey.

"Wolf bait if I ever saw it." Lucian looked up sharply, half wondering if he had spoken out loud. Raul took this as an admonishing look and cast his eyes at the ground. Eric didn't say anything but smirked at the younger werewolf, clearly in agreement.

Wolf bait. That was a phrase Lucian hadn't heard in a while. It was an old title, and not a very flattering one. Centuries ago, when humans still lived in small villages and superstition dominated science communities would select a young woman, always petite and vulnerable in stature and features and leave her outside the village limits. She was a sacrifice to the Lycans to use for- Lucian paused, wincing internally at the memory of his brothers' and even his barbarism- their satisfaction, whatever that was at the time. Those fearful humans hoped that this… act of kindness would encourage the Lycans to leave them and their livestock alone. Once the vampire learned of the Lycans' taste for these women they began to kidnap and use them as bait to lure Lycans into traps. Hence the name.

Not that wolf bait had been used in over four centuries. And he was getting off topic.

"Anything else about the Doctor?" Nicholi's face became a bit grimmer.

"She's very curious. She said that she thought Lucian was the kid's name but at the end I think she was getting suspicious." Lucian grumbled at the news. He nodded to Eric.

"Keep an eye on her." Eric, ever a man of few words, gave a half nod, half bow and returned to his task. "You two, go back to your station. Keep an eye on things there."

"Yes, sir." Once he was alone he let himself ponder what the Doctor's fate should be. She wasn't really a threat, but she had the potential to be quite bothersome. Perhaps it was time to see for himself? He rarely got out these days. Distant splashing, a very familiar scent and then Raze's voice permeated the new found quiet.

"Sir. I have news."


	6. The Hare And The Snake

**My sincerest apologies for the delay. My brain was sucked dry by finals and left me with the worst writer's block. I even had to delete and rewrite over half the chapter. **

Lilith had had more than her share of surprise visits, at least the kind that weren't part of her job description, for one day, so when one of the interns- woman, young, bright-eyed- told her a man was asking for her by name the news was not received well. Didn't people know she hadn't had time for breakfast or coffee? One deep, calming breath and Lilith shifted a mask of polite diligence over her features.

"Were is he?" The intern ducked her head and the corner of her mouth twitched into a grin, a gesture she hadn't seen since middle school, and gestured towards the front desk.

Her first impression of the man was that he took up more space than his size. He was for all intents and purposes a rather petite man but his presence was- huge, imposing, dark, intimidating?- compelling. Large hazel eyes stared unblinkingly at her. Lilith didn't even remember giving her legs the command to move but his figure was slowly becoming larger so she assumed they moved of their own volition. His stare reminded her very much of the two officers that had come in earlier. Part calculating, part amused. Except this time the look was- the hare trapped in the stare of the snake- predatory.

Lilith internally slapped herself. She was a professional. She had handled larger, scarier men than this just fine in the past. One neutral, professional smile and an extended hand.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Lilith Davies. I believe you wanted to speak to me?"

&

Nicholi's and Raul's assessment was right. She was so very _human._ Small and weak and soft and completely unaware of all of it. And now she was staring at him, large doe eyes wide and hypnotized. Don't any of these humans know how to recognize a predator? Has their technology has made them that arrogant? Do they think nothing can hunt them? Not that Lycans hunted humans regularly anyways. Their less civilized ancestors, the beasts who lost their humanity entirely, hunted without scrutiny. However, once the Lycans evolved, eating humans, outside of starvation or in retribution, was too akin to cannibalism to be regularly practiced. Even animals have standards. Still, Lucian had done nothing to deter the stereotype. The more disinformation the enemy had, the better.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Lilith Davies. I believe you wanted to speak to me?" Her smile was forced, her eyes suspicious. His smile was more natural; he couldn't help but find her a bit amusing.

"Yes, I am-" Can't be Lucian tonight. "Luc." Her hand was tiny inside of his, and he was not a large man by any standards. Was she nervous? Her heart was beating unnecessarily fast. Had he judged humans incorrectly? Did they still instinctively recognize the monsters of their nightmares? "I brought my nephew here a bout a week ago. He had a brown leather jacket with him. We can't find it. I thought we might have left it here." Her eyebrows twitched inward, her naked mouth became tense. The Lycan lord studied every twitch with something akin to fascination. Lucian so rarely came into contact with humans these days. They were a most interesting species. Infinite diversity within not only one group of beings but within one of the beings, singular.

"I'm sorry, I don't handle the lost and found." Ah, she was irritated. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned her frame slightly away from his. "You asked for me by name. How do you know me?" Spine straight, muscled tensed, Lucian would have thought she was preparing to flee if she wasn't staring at him so intensely. Really, was this tiny creature trying to intimidate him? A kitten bearing its claws at a fully-grown hound? The beast within shifted and keened in pure barbaric delight at this comparison, softly demanding- like waves against the sand, slowly wearing down resistance, no longer green enough to howl at its master- to show its prey its place. In the most satisfying way possible.

&

The man's outward appearance had not changed since Lilith first laid eyes- eyes that had remained glued to his countenance- on him. But something had shifted, just underneath the skin. That sense of being larger than his body became just a little more solid.  
RunRunRunRunRun! Her limbs felt week, giddy. There was a bitter taste in her mouth. Adrenaline? MustFlee! PredatorPredator! Danger! She couldn't move, didn't want to move. The hare trapped in the stare of the snake. Her nostrils flared to take in more of his scent, her pupils dialated to take in more of his image. Weren't his eyes hazel?

And then it was gone. Luc was once again just a man. Benign. Or would have been benign if the taste of adrenaline wasn't still lingering on her tongue. She closed her eyes for a brief second, and felt the muscles in her throat contract and relax. When the world came back into rapid focus Lilith caught Luc's gaze flick up from her neck. Had he _watched_ her swallow?

"Dr. Davies, are you feeling well?" Was that _amusement_ in his tone? Was he _fucking_ _**amused**_ by her? The excess adrenaline in her system was put to a much different use now.

"I'm fine." She hoped her words felt like ice, but by the candle flame glints in the man's eyes she seriously doubted it. "You still haven't answered my question."

"I am aware." Her nails dug red little crescents into her palms and she actually gasped. Her teeth then immediately clenched together to stop another gasp- don't let him know what he's doing to you- but the shuddering exhale was an even worse give-away.

"If you're not going to answer my question or don't have a medical emergency then I'm going to have to ask you to leave." And Lilith was going to storm away, she was resolved to march very quickly away from this man. Except his hand- a vice, a shackle- warm and strong enclosed around her wrist. He wasn't holding on to her tightly but the impossible solidly of its presence outweighed any feasible grip strength. And it stilled Lilith immediately.

"My apologies. That was rude." He didn't sound even in the remote vicinity of sincere. Maybe he found everything amusing. Maybe he was that arrogant. "I heard you recently came into contact with the fallout of our fair city's gang warfare." Her proverbial hackles rose.

"So has every hospital in this _fair city_." His gaze became intense once more and that looming presence gained solidly. Oh God, this much adrenaline isn't good for a stationary person. Why couldn't she wrench her hand away? Why was he still holding on to her?

"Yes, but you know something," he paused- dramatic effect? like he needed it-, "special." When had he gotten this close? She could practically _taste_ his scent. Didn't there used to be other people, a hospital, a city, a _world_ around them?

CRASH, FLASHING LIGHTS, SCREAMS- ATTENTION! ATTENTION! Another gurney, another pocket of chaos missing her presence. He released her wrist and Lilith backed away.

"If you want to know about this whole," she paused, the word escaping her, her hand making a non-committal gesture in the air to compensate, "business you're going to have to go to the police." Finally- FINALLY- she turned away from him, glad that she had ended up with the last word. If only she hadn't sounded so out of breath.

&

Lucian chucked darkly into the black streets of his city, leaving the brightness of the hospital behind him. He hadn't allowed himself that kind of license in years- no, years didn't even begin to cover it; years were trivial things to a Lycan. _Centuries_ was more accurate a term. Letting the beast come so close to the surface. Engaging in that kind of- playfulness was not the right word, it was too light, too _human_ for what he and the good doctor had done. Was it an unadvisable move, unequivocally. But it felt so godsdamn _good._ And the words that Raze had dropped at his feet earlier- success, termination, battle, gunfire, wounded, dead- hadn't screamed like a banshee inside of his mind once.


	7. Speechless

Barstools scraping against the hardwood floor, laughter, a little too loud from the alcohol, the smell and the heat of just a few too many people occupying one space, the sound of peanuts being cracked open, all these signifiers of liveliness, of humanity calmed Lilith. After that- attack- encounter earlier she had practically pounced on Evan's invitation to their regular hole in the wall bar. She didn't even care that her eagerness might give the older doctor the wrong idea.

Lilith stared at her reflection in the window and wished she didn't look so much like those dolls her mother collected and locked away from child hands in ornate glass cabinets. Was that why this guy had _toyed- _that was the only word she could think of- with her? Stupid doe eyes, stupid curls, stupid petite stature- maybe the whiskey was affecting her more than she thought. Were the lights always this dim? Her view of herself was abruptly obstructed by Evan's hulking form taking his seat across from her.

"Are you alright?" He slid a glass of amber liquid in front of her, contradicting the warning concern in his voice. "You usually cut yourself off by the third glass."

"Oh?" She sipped mindlessly, not even aware of the burn. "What number am I on?"

"Five." There was a silence just on this side of comfortable and the medical examiner took deep gulp of his beer on tap. "So what's got you in such a mood?"

"Mood? What mood? I'm not in a mood." Ok, the alcohol was definitely affecting her more than usual. Evan raised a single eyebrow at her, a trick Lilith had always been envious of.

"Uh-huh. I'll get you a refill." Lilith wasn't even aware she had finished her current drink. The young ER doctor was greeted with her own reflection once more before she could respond. He was back, sliding the poison into her hands before she could slip back into contemplation. Why did he get her another one if he was concerned for her? Staring down into the whiskey her alcohol-ladled mind was able to piece a few things together.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Her glare might have been more effective if she wasn't so lethargic from the booze and the atmosphere. Evan grinned his too-young-for-my-age grin that got most women to swoon. Never Lilith though. This was the first time it occurred to her that might bother him.

" A little." He shrugged, but didn't look remotely apologetic. "I ask again, what's got you all in a tizzy?" He was the only man who could say the word 'tizzy' and not sound ridiculous. Lilith blew a curl away from her face like she did when she was seven and bored in church.

"This _guy_ came in and was poking his nose around those gang deaths. Thought I knew something _special._" She rolled her eyes, making it seem ridiculous, or at least trying to convince herself it was.

"And do you?" She rose her eyebrows at him. "Know something special?"

"No!" The exclamation was just a bit too loud and a few people turned to stare. Oh jeeze. She pushed her sixth- thankfully unconsumed- whiskey back towards the bear-man.

"It's just this _guy_. He was so- so-" There had to be a word, _had_ to be. "frustrating and scary and compelling and intimidating and _fascinating_." Ok, there were quite a few words. Rather than looking pleased that he had weaseled the information out of her, Evan looked, annoyed?

"Yes, I'm sure some creep that _frightens_ you and is asking about gruesome murders is all kinds of _fascinating_." He didn't say 'fascinating' the same way she had. Lilith felt instinctively defensive.

"It wasn't like that." It was exactly like that. But she didn't like the way Evan said it.

"Uh-huh." The large man leaned back in his chair and gave her a skeptical look. Lilith rolled her eyes again- something not really suited for her if she wanted to get people to bypass her appearance- and looked around the bar. To her surprise she saw Michael. He was with a woman with long brown hair. Neither of them was talking. Neither of them looked happy. Maybe she should go over there. Say hi. Break the tension. Fix things. She was a fixer by trade after all.

She was just about to give Evan an excuse and go to the intern and his companion when Evan's massive hand engulfed her two delicate ones. Her movements were stilled immediately. It wasn't the same feeling Luc had instilled in her. In his grip she felt like any attempt at escape was futile, his physical dominance absolute; she knew she could withdraw from Evan at any time. How strange. Despite the fact that Evan would dwarf Luc in sheer body mass, Luc was the dangerous one.

"Lily, you shouldn't meddle in things that aren't your business. That could get you into trouble." His thumb stroked her left palm gently. "You should concentrate on what's right in front of you." He pushed the whiskey back towards her.

&

Lilith woke with a groan. Her head was pounding. The light that should have been gently filtering in through closed blinds was pouring in through in unobstructed window. The sun was so cruel. Why hadn't she closed the shades last night? The woman sat up; and was suddenly aware she wasn't wearing any clothes. And the giant form of Dr. Even Resner, ME was lightly snoring beside her, his legs dangling off the end of her mattress.

Oh. God.

First things first. Coffee. Lilith looked back over at the reason she hadn't closed the blinds last night. Really strong coffee. Donning her robe she slipped out her too occupied bedroom. She was proud she was able to avoid all the creaky places in the floor. Once in the relative safety of the kitchen she switched on her television, lowering the volume and turning to the news. She wasn't even listening; she just wanted some background noise to cover any signs of life from the other room; reminders that there _was_ another person in her apartment. And they were male. And they were Dr. Evan Resner, ME.

Her back was to the television when she heard it. Heard the words that turned background noise into her whole world.

&

Evan Resner poked his head out of the foreign- but hopefully not forever foreign- bedroom he woke up in to assess the situation. He hoped Lilith hadn't run like the little rabbit she was before he could reason with her. What he found was definitely not what he had expected.

"Lily?" The bear-man moved towards the woman who was sitting transfixed in front of her television. She didn't even acknowledge him. Evan was done with tiptoeing around and strode over to the still figure. She was just watching the news. He was going to give her a little shake when he caught the caption at the bottom.

Local Gang Found Slaughtered in Underground. No Survivors.


	8. States of Mind

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, they have inspired me to write an extra long chapter. And if anyone knows if the Lycan doctor has a name that information would be greatly appreciated.**

So the media finally picked up on his own personal slaughter, had they? Lucian let out snort. Took them long enough. Was there not enough blood for those people, more vultures than human? Were his victims not young enough? Was the body count too low to peak their interests? Lucian raised his hand to smooth his hair away from his face. It wasn't until he caught the sight of the skin in his palms knitting back together that he realized his clenched fists drew blood upon themselves. Oh well, what's a little more?

A shuffling noise in front of him alerted him once more to the two Lycans in front of him. Nicholi and Raul had reported all the human authorities and media knew, just as the young werewolves were supposed to. They were probably waiting to be dismissed. Lucian furrowed his brow. These periods of moving out of the world and into his own dark, twisted consciousness were becoming more frequent and more inconvenient. He was, for all intents and purposes a warlord. He could not afford to be anything but hyper vigilant. He nodded tersely to them and stalked- there was no other word for Lucian's gait when he was upset- back towards the lab.

He stood in the doorway, observing his old doctor friend draw dark blood from yet another candidate. Raze soon joined him. Lucian would have liked to contemplate his odd all consuming introspections, as ironic as that was, but Raze was a presence impossible to ignore.

"Are you sure there were no survivors?" No survivors meant something different in his world than in the human one. To a Lycan 'no survivors' meant there was no chance of regeneration. Or in this case turning.

In hindsight it was a rather stupid and pointless question to ask; Lucian trusted his men, especially Raze, with his life. There was no reason to doubt them. Lucian was afraid he asked simply because he couldn't think of anything better to say. Maybe he _was_ getting old.

"Yes." Raze, if he was bothered by the question, didn't show it. We lured them near the service areas and disposed of them." Lucian internally winced at the word 'disposed'. Lucian has chosen the service area because it was only visited once every day at 5 a.m. and because he needed those children to be found. As much of a threat that they were they were still just human boys and should be buried like human boys. Lucian heard the clinking of glass on glass and then a dejected sigh.

"Negative."

Lucian pushed into the lab area. The doctor, bug-eyed and frail looking, went over to their genealogy board and crossed off another name. The doctor's shoulders were slumped and Lucian thought the other Lycan was probably the only one as disappointed by the negative test results as he was. The others in his pack were rather neutral on the subject of his hybrid. Most of them figured if it was what Lucian wanted, then they would help him get it; but without Lucian's force behind the idea none of them were all that interested in combining the species. Only the doctor Lycan had really attached to the concept. He was a brilliant man and always willing to bend the rules for a new challenge, a new discovery, which was why Lucian had turned him in the first place. That and he thought it would be a good idea to have a doctor around.

Lucian put a hand on the other werewolf's shoulder.

"We'll just have to get the next one on the list." The alpha turned to Raze and nodded towards the unconscious test subject. The giant Lycan lifted the man off his hook and exited the room with only the weakened human's labored breathing as a sound effect. The Lycan doctor raised an eyebrow at the still present and silent Lucian.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" the man asked in that peculiar accent of his. Lucian considered asking the doctor about his mental tangents, if they were a side effect of his not inconsiderable age.

Immortality was a hoax. You may live forever, but you will age. It will be slow, you may not even notice it at first for your outside appearance will change very little, if at all, but no one, not even the "immortal damned" escaped time. Lucian had no one else to reference; he was the oldest Lycan he knew of. But the doctor knew what it was like to be elderly, even if it was when he was human. Lucian sat down with a noticeable weariness on one of the lab stools.

"Doctor, if you would, tell me what it was like to grow old as a human." To his surprise, his Lycan doctor laughed.

"You always have the most interesting questions! First it was if I could hybridize the species, now you want to know what it was like to be an old man?" The Lycan shook his head. "You always have to most telling questions as well." The doctor sighed and sat on the only other stool. "It was terrible. My memory was going, I couldn't concentrate, I still had so much I wanted to do but simply couldn't do it." Lucian was not pleased with this answer. This _could not_ happen to him. Not now. Not when he was _so close_. "Hmmm, let me guess, you're beginning to feel your centuries?" The slight glare- a slight glare coming from an elder Lycan was a death sentence to lesser beings- Lucian rewarded him with confirmed it.

"My mind has been wandering lately. I has occurred more often while I was planning and then after our elimination of that street gang." His confession was met with a contemplative 'hmmmm'.

"You are the oldest and most controlled Lycan I know of. The moon no longer holds any sway over you. You can superimpose your human side on your Lycan side at will. And perhaps this is your problem." Lucian raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"You think I'm becoming too human?" He would have laughed if he were in a place to find anything funny. And the doctor knew more about Lycan, human, and Vampyr physiology than anyone he knew.

"Being Lycan changes us as humans, and I'm not just talking about the physical transformation. The human mind is a rather unfocused thing, the Lycan in us changes it, molds it into a focused predator, even while we look like our distant cousins. The Lycan part is so strong it takes over everything. You, as it seems, have managed to reverse hundreds, if not thousands of years of biology."

Lucian couldn't believe it. Apparently his control was so absolute that he had completely divided himself in half. It was ludicrous. His disbelief must have showed on his face because the doctor continued.

"It is just a theory, but think about it." Lucian gave a wry smile.

"Apparently, with my unfocused human mind, I have no choice." Lucian had had enough of this, despite the fact it was self-inflicted. He _had_ asked after all. He stalked- for his mind had not calmed at all- towards the subway tunnels, finally stopping at the edges to breathe in some of the semi-fresh air from the surface. And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, his mind wandered and then labored over when the doctor had said.

When was the last time he was truly focused? Right after his unorthodox quadrepedial run through the tunnels and while- especially when- he was talking to the good, human doctor; when the beast was closest to the surface. His mind began to cloud when this whole gang business started, when he knew he was going to have to kill them, when he felt pain at that thought, as if he were- no, not going to say it. How odd that live humans would bring out the animal in him while dead ones would bring out the human.

Then again, he might just be getting old.

&

The twelve-year-old girl squirming on the ER bed was dangerously close to bursting into tears. Lilith knew this and was prepared to console her, assure her that she wouldn't be able to feel her stitching up the gash on her forehead but the child simply gave a loud sniff and let out a shaky "ok".

A little localized anesthetic and she was good to go. Now, if only everything else was so simple. Every feminist sensibility shouted at her that Evan had plied her with drinks, seduced her when she was venerable, taken advantage of her; just like a _man_. But as insulting as this probably was to the man, the news story she had watched in horrified rapture this morning superceded any drunken romps that may or may not have taken place the night before. She just didn't have the presence of mind to be upset about that right now.

In, out, in, out. Cross over left, cross over right. Lilith always found it a little disturbing how similar sewing flesh together and sewing garments were. She felt there should be a little more weight, a little more substance to patching up a tear in a human being. Flashes of the images on her television filled her mind. All ripped skin and blood. No amount of sewing could ever repair that damage. It was an odd feeling, this detachment. The news had hit her hard in the morning but now she felt almost nothing about the subject; and yet…

She couldn't think about anything else. It kept coming back to her, like she was some how irrevocably tied to the whole situation. Which made absolutely no sense. Except that man- the word man being applied loosely, of course- Luc had implied that she knew something significant- _special_ was the term he used. What the hell did she know?

Lilith put down her instruments and gave the child the warmest smile she could muster in her current state of mind. The girl's mother, just as fidgety as her patient, looked at her with the terrified look only a parent could wear after seeing their child bleed.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. She doesn't even have a concussion. Just keep the stitches clean and a nurse will contact you when it's time to remove them." The woman nodded but didn't say anything; she was in shock. Lilith could relate. The young doctor sighed as she entered the break room intent on the black sludge that liked to pretend it was coffee.

"Did you hear?" An intern- a new one, Lilith didn't know this one's name yet. Lilith looked around for a moment wondering whom the young woman was talking to. When she saw no companion she assumed that like many young women her need to gossip overpowered social niceties.

"Um, about what?" Lilith wasn't a huge fan of gossip but in the end she chalked it up to a necessary evil. You hardly ever got the straight story of hospital politics and drama from the actual people involved, and those kinds of situations could make or break a career.

"You know that horrible slaughter on the news this morning?" Was this room always so cold? Or was that just her?

"Yes, I saw." It was amazing how casual Lilith's voice sounded when she was quaking inside. Looks like the shock is wearing off.

"Well as it turns out they were able to revive one of the guys. He's in a coma now, in the ICU." Here? The boy was here? The intern's eyes were sad and Lilith wondered if the girl's impromptu story time was motivated by something other than a need to spread controversial information. "I saw him wheeled in. It was horrible. The doctors don't think he'll ever wake up. They're just trying to ID him to alert his parents. It's just so-" Lilith could see the struggle the poor, now obviously traumatized, girl was going through to find the correct word, "sad." The intern looked dissatisfied by her word choice but didn't say anything else. Lilith slid her untouched cup of "coffee" towards her companion.

"I know." The look the intern gave her told her she believed it. Lilith just didn't have any rousing speeches in her today- her emotions were working over time in other areas, she just didn't have any to spare- so she patted the young woman's hand as maternally as she could and walked back out into the frenzy.

&

Lilith signed out, as the cheery posters on every surface of the locker room instructed her to do, but knew her day was far from over. And now she was in front of that damned elevator pushing that damned down button to go to the damned morgue. She stalled by donning her coat- it would be cold down there. After adjusting everything that would need adjusting she had nothing left to do but push that button. Damn.

Lilith stepped in and sighed. She honestly didn't know what to do with Evan Resner. She wasn't looking for anything right now, whether it be a relationship or just casual sex. Jesus, she just exited her residency, she was so busy before she became certified she never had much time for dating and it just stopped crossing her mind. Apparently that crossed over to now.

Oh, God. She _did not_ want to think about this now, she was just- drained, exhausted, kaput- emotionally done.

_Ding!_

Fuck.

"Would it sound stalker-like to say I've had my eye on the elevator all day waiting for you?"

Double fuck.

The last of her supply of tight smiles adorned the doctor's face as she stepped out of the elevator.

"I don't really have anything to say. All I've been thinking about is that, that-" Travasty didn't sound right, disaster didn't fit either, slaughter was too close to the core of it to ever let her be comfortable "-thing this morning on the news and the boy on my table and the one in ICU and that _man_." It all came out choppy and painful and slightly skewed from what she meant. Evan gave a soft sigh of what resembled annoyance.

"Lily, you _have_ to stop thinking about that boy and that freak. It's not healthy. What happened, it was-" he stopped, and the lines on his face became more pronounced and he shut his eyes. Lilith saw that face all the time. It was the face of pain. "Jesus Lily, I've been up to my neck in corpses from that slaughter. The city ME can't handle them all so the bodies have been shipped around to the different hospitals." His voice was clinical, like he was repeating something some bureaucrat or newscaster said, and it contrasted deeply with his expression. Lilith wanted to step forward and comfort him but she was in no state to comfort anyone about this, especially him. Evan's face softened a little and he caught her gaze once more. "Sorry. It's been one of those days and I was just looking forward to seeing you."

Lilith felt something soften, melt and shift between them, like she had subconsciously had a barrier between her and this bear-man in front of her. Normally, too much intimacy, excluding the presence of alcohol, with Evan made her feel unbalanced and awkward, like she never knew were she stood. Now that was gone. She stepped forward and wrapped, or tried to wrap her arms around him. By his reciprocal gesture she assumed hers was appreciated.

"You know, I was trying to make something happen between us." His voice was more normal now.

"I know." The two of them had teetered on the edge of friends and lovers- her pulling one way, him pulling another- for almost their entire knowledge of each other. This shared pain decided for them.

It was strange how though she really wasn't connected to the gang slaughter; she didn't know the victims, she only saw bits of the aftermath, it affected her so deeply and in so many ways. And Lilith didn't think it was finished either.


End file.
